the age of invention-第23章
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nd turn out great newspapers complete； folded and counted； at the rate of a hundred thousand copies an hour。 American printing machines are in use today the world over。 The London Times is printed on American machines。
Hundreds of new inventions and improvements on old inventions followed hard on the growth of the newspaper； until it seemed that the last word had been spoken。 The newspapers had the wonderful Hoe presses； they had cheap paper； they had excellent type； cast by machinery； they had a satisfactory process of multiplying forms of type by stereotyping； and at length came a new process of making pictures by photo…engraving； supplanting the old…fashioned process of engraving on wood。 Meanwhile； however； in one important department of the work； the newspapers had made no advance whatever。 The newspapers of New York in the year 1885； and later； set up their type by the same method that Benjamin Franklin used to set up the type for The Pennsylvania Gazette。 The compositor stood or sat at his 〃case；〃 with his 〃copy〃 before him； and picked the type up letter by letter until he had filled and correctly spaced a line。 Then he would set another line； and so on； all with his hands。 After the job was completed； the type had to be distributed again； letter by letter。 Typesetting was slow and expensive。
This labor of typesetting was at last generally done away with by the invention of two intricate and ingenious machines。 The linotype； the invention of Ottmar Mergenthaler of Baltimore； came first； then the monotype of Tolbert Lanston； a native of Ohio。 The linotype is the favorite composing machine for newspapers and is also widely used in typesetting for books； though the monotype is preferred by book printers。 One or other of these machines has today replaced； for the most part； the old hand compositors in every large printing establishment in the United States。
While the machinery of the great newspapers was being developed； another instrument of communication； more humble but hardly less important in modern life； was coming into existence。 The typewriter is today in every business office and is another of America's gifts to the commercial world。 One might attempt to trace the typewriter back to the early seals； or to the name plates of the Middle Ages； or to the records of the British Patent Office； for 1714； which mention a machine for embossing。 But it would be difficult to establish the identity of these contrivances with the modern typewriter。
Two American devices； one of William Burt in 1829； for a 〃typographer；〃 and another of Charles Thurber； of Worcester； Massachusetts； in 1843； may also be passed over。 Alfred Ely Beach made a model for a typewriter as early as 1847； but neglected it for other things； and his next effort in printing machines was a device for embossing letters for the blind。 His typewriter had many of the features of the modern typewriter； but lacked a satisfactory method of inking the types。 This was furnished by S。 W。 Francis of New York； whose machine； in 1857； bore a ribbon saturated with ink。 None of these machines； however； was a commercial success。 They were regarded merely as the toys of ingenious men。
The accredited father of the typewriter was a Wisconsin newspaperman； Christopher Latham Sholes； editor； politician； and anti…slavery agitator。 A strike of his printers led him to unsuccessful attempts to invent a typesetting machine。 He did succeed； however； in making； in collaboration with another printer； Samuel W。 Soule； a numbering machine； and a friend； Carlos Glidden； to whom this ingenious contrivance was shown； suggested a machine to print letters。
The three friends decided to try。 None had studied the efforts of previous experimenters； and they made many errors which might have been avoided。 Gradually； however； the invention took form。 Patents were obtained in June； 1868； and again in July of the same year； but the machine was neither strong nor trustworthy。 Now appeared James Densmore and bought a share in the machine； while Soule and Glidden retired。 Densmore furnished the funds to build about thirty models in succession； each a little better than the preceding。 The improved machine was patented in 1871； and the partners felt that they were ready to begin manufacturing。
Wisely they determined； in 1873； to offer their machine to Eliphalet Remington and Sons； then manufacturing firearms； sewing machines； and the like； at Ilion； New York。 Here； in well…equipped machine shops it was tested； strengthened； and improved。 The Remingtons believed they saw a demand for the machine and offered to buy the patents； paying either a lump sum； or a royalty。 It is said that Sholes preferred the ready cash and received twelve thousand dollars； while Densmore chose the royalty and received a million and a half。
The telegraph； the press； and the typewriter are agents of communication for the written word。 The telephone is an agent for the spoken word。 And there is another instrument for recording sound and reproducing it； which should not be forgotten。 It was in 1877 that Thomas Alva Edison completed the first phonograph。 The air vibrations set up by the human voice were utilized to make minute indentations on a sheet of tinfoil placed over a metallic cylinder； and the machine would then reproduce the sounds which had caused the indentations。 The record wore out after a few reproductions； however； and Edison was too busy to develop his idea further for a time； though later he returned to it。
The phonograph today appears under various names； but by whatever name they are called； the best machines reproduce with wonderful fidelity the human voice； in speech or song； and the tones of either a single instrument or a whole orchestra。 The most distinguished musicians are glad to do their best for the preservation and reproduction of their art； and through these machines； good music is brought to thousands to whom it could come in no other way。
The camera bears a large part in the diffusion of intelligence； and the last half century in the United States has seen a great development in photography and photoengraving。 The earliest experiments in photography belong almost exclusively to Europe。 Morse； as we have seen； introduced the secret to America and interested his friend John W。 Draper； who had a part in the perfection of the dry plate and who was one of the first； if not the first； to take a portrait by photography。
The world's greatest inventor in photography is； however； George Eastman； of Rochester。 It was in 1888 that Eastman introduced a new camera； which he called by the distinctive name Kodak； and with it the slogan： 〃You press the button； we do the rest。〃 This first kodak was loaded with a roll of sensitized paper long enough for a hundred exposures。 Sent to the makers； the roll could itself be developed and pictures could be printed from it。 Eastman had been an amateur photographer when the fancy was both expensive and tedious。 Inventing a method of making dry plates； he began to manufacture them in a small way as early as 1880。 After the first kodak； there came others filled with rolls of sensitized nitro…cellulose film。 Priority in the invention of the cellulose film； instead of glass； which has revolutionized photography； has been decided by the courts to belong to the Reverend Hannibal Goodwin； but the honor none the less belongs to Eastman； who independently worked out his process and gave photography to the millions。 The introduction by the Eastman Kodak Company of a film cartridge which could be inserted or removed without retiring to a dark room removed the chief difficulty in the way of amateurs； and a camera of some sort； varying in price from a dollar or two to as many hundreds； is today an indispensable part of a vacation equipment。
In the development of the animated pictures Thomas Alva Edison has played a large part。 Many were the efforts to give the appearance of movement to pictures before the first real entertainment was staged by Henry Heyl of Philadelphia。 Heyl's pictures were on glass plates fixed in the circumference of a wheel； and each was brought and held for a part of a second before the lens。 This method was obviously too slow and too expens
